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Original Film Title: Broad Minded City
Director’s Name: Quirino de la Cuesta
Writer’s Name: Quirino de la Cuesta
Producer: Quirino de la Cuesta
Country of Origin: United States
Country of Filming : United States
Language: English
Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes
Film Description:
Broad Minded City is a full-feature documentary film about Urban Planning, Design and Architecture exploring the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright’s urban model, “Broadacre City,” and today’s urban sprawl. It investigates the origins of Broadacre City, the similarities/dissimilarities between Broadacre City and today’s urban sprawl, and the challenges today’s cities facing a sustainable future and a new urban typology addressing these issues.
This film features interviews of former apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright, well-known architects, urban theorists, designers, city planners, artists, community activists and transportation experts. In the interviews, they discuss transitioning for a viable, livable, sustainable and equitable future through civic engagement, grass-roots campaigning, and a better understanding what Broadacre City was about. Plus, how Broadacre City did or didn’t influence today’s urban sprawl like Los Angeles, Detroit, Phoenix, and other western cities dominated by the automobile is open to discussion. The question is “Where do you go?” when there is an ever-present need to change the present urban model.
The film also focuses on the greater Los Angeles area as a case study in urban development, transportation infrastructure, density, urban design, open space and housing dealing in transitioning away from the suburbia model. The present Los Angeles is in the midst of transitioning communities, street design, mobility, environmental impact, identity, bringing nature into the equation and the role of architecture and design.
Frank Lloyd Wright, considered the greatest American architect, developed the term and the philosophy of “Organic Architecture” that was reflective of his life’s work. He influenced the world with his approach to urban planning, design and architecture via his urban concept model Broadacre City, and how it was misunderstood as the progenitor of urban sprawl. It’s more important at present to understand Broadacre City concepts and to apply those concepts of organic living to today’s urban approach.